Common Name: Society Garlic

General Information

Tulbaghia alliacea is a stemless, perennial plant producing rosettes of grass-like leaves about 25cm tall from a swollen rhizome that can be 10cm long[]. Plants grow from a cluster of small bulbs attached to a basal plate that is sometimes regarded as a rhizome[]. The plant is usually evergreen but becomes dormant in areas with a cold or dry season[, ].
The plant is sometimes gathered from the wild as a local source of food and medicines. It is occasionally grown as an ornamental.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

Range

Southern Africa - Zambia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho, S. Africa.

Habitat

Sandy flats[]. Clay or gravelly flats[]. Found in a variety of habitats from lowland swamps to moist sandy meadows and barren ground; at elevations up to 2,000 metres[].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Habit	Bulb
Height	0.25 m
Pollinators	Flies
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Tulbaghia alliacea is a plant of the subtropics and tropics. It has some cold-hardyness, tolerating short periods with temperatures down to about -5°c[]. and can also be cultivated outdoors in warmer parts of the temperate zone. However, it is in leaf during the winter and so is best grown with some protection such as a cold greenhouse or conservatory[].
Requires a well-drained soil in a sunny sheltered position[].
The plant often becomes a weed in gardens[].
Young plants can commence flowering within 1 - 2 years from seed[].
The flowers are very fragrant at night[]. Another report says that they have an unpleasant smell[]. The whole plant has a powerful aroma of garlic[, ].
Members of this genus tend to hybridize freely in cultivation or if their wild ranges overlap[].

Edible Uses

Rhizome - cooked[]. The rhizome is scraped clean and boiled in stews or roasted as a vegetable[]. A mild, onion flavour[].

Leaves and stems - cooked. A flavour like a mild onion[]. They can be cooked like spinach or chopped fine and used as a relish or added to soups and stews[, ].

Flowers. They are regarded as a delicacy by the native Zulu women[].

Medicinal

The rhizome is laxative[]. A decoction is used in the treatment of intestinal worms[].
The bruised rhizome is used in baths for the relief of fever, rheumatism or paralysis[].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in the greenhouse[]. Sow stored seed in early spring in the greenhouse[]. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots once they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse for at least their first winter. If planting them outdoors, this is best done in late summer when the plants are dormant.
Division of the dormant plants in late summer.